Folding tooth-brush



(No Model.)

R. S. LAKIN.

-- FOLDING TOOTH BRUSH.

N0; Patented July 13, 1886.

WITNESSES? ,1 F ,4 \NVELN'TUFQ.

Q I Q a I N Patina Pmwumn m. wiihillihflt n. cy

V UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

BIN ALDO S. LAKIN, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO SOLOMON S. HIGGINS, OFSOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING TOOTH BRUSH.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 345,517, dated July 13.1886.

Application filed January 8, 1885.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, RINALDO S. LAKIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FoldingTooth-Brushes; and I do hereby declare that the same are fully describedin the following specification and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement upon that set forth inmy application for patent on Tooth-13rush and Dentifrice-Holder, filedNovember 20, 1882, Serial No. 77,224.

In my former invention the handle of the brush was hollow, forming areceptacle for tootl1-powder,an'd in some of the figures of the drawingsthe brush-head was shown as folding into a recess,where the powder wasfed to the face of the bristles through an orifice leading thereto fromsaid receptacle. This orifice was furnished with a plug or stopper toretain the powder. I employ these features with my present improvement,and add to them aslidin g protecting-plate interposed between thebrushhead and the delivery-orifiee, so as to cover the latter, exceptwhen powder is to be applied to the brush, and also to exclude dust anddirt, and to prevent the dampness of the brush from clogging theorifice; and Ifurther ventilate the brush, when folded, by removing oromitting the sides of the recess into which it folded in my former plan,thus giving the air free access to the bristles to-promote their drying.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents my im proved brush opened or spreadas for use, and Fig. 2 shows it in its folded posit-ion, while Fig. 3 isa longitudinal section of the device folded, showing the sliding plateand plug drawn back to deliver powder to the brush. Fig. 4 is a detailof the back of the brush.

A is the handle, having at one end the receptacle 13, provided with theend cap, 0, to receive and retain a supply of tooth-powder.

D is the brush-head, pivoted to the handle at E, so as to fold, asshown, with the face of the bristles close to the flat central part ofthe handle.

Serial No.152,272. (No model.)

F is the orifice through which the powdered dentifrice is fed from thereceptacle B to the face of the folded brush. This orifice runslengthwise of the handle, just beneath the flat central part thereof,and opens through the flat surface along a central line,t-o deliver thepowder to the brush. A plug, G, fills this orifice, and is movablelongitudinally to open and. close the delivery. In order to preventdampness from the brush from clogging the aperture, I provide a thinprotecting-plate of metal, hard rubber, or other material, lying flatupon the central part of the handle, and interposed between itand theface of the brush. This plate has a sliding movement, so as to uncoverthe aperture F when it is desired to apply powder to the brush, and tocover and close said aperture at other times. This movement of the platemay be effected in any suitable way, such as swinging outwardly on a.

pivot at one of its ends or sliding laterally in grooves. In thedrawings alongitudinalmove- 'ment is illustrated, the edges of the platehav- The brush is held firmly in its opened and closed positions by aspring, K, integral with the handle, and formed by cutting two parallelslits in the end of the handle, as indicated in Fig. 4.

ing therefrom to the face of the brush, and the In testimony whereof Ihereto affix my siginterposed plate H, substantially as set forth.nature in presence of two witnesses.

2. A folding tooth-brush having a receptacle for powder within itshandle and a. de- RINALDO S. LAKIN. 5 livery-orifice leading therefrom,in combina tion with a movable plate interposed between Vitn'esses: thebrush and handle and a sliding plug to A. H. SPENCER, close saidorifice, substantially as set forth. S. HIGGINS.

